I have received your letter of the first instant, relating to the addresses of Mr. Smith. I would advise you neither to encourage nor discourage his suit; for if on inquiry into his character and circumstances, I shall find that they are answerable to your cousin's good opinion of them and his own assurances, I know not but his suit may be worthy of attention. However, my dear girl, consider that men are deceitful, and always put the best side outwards. It may possibly, on the strict inquiry which the nature and importance of the case demands, come out far otherwise than it at present appears. Let me, therefore, advise you to act in this matter with great prudence, and that you make not yourself too cheap, for men are apt to slight what is too easily obtained. In the mean time he may be told, that you are entirely resolved to abide by my determination in an affair of this great importance. This will put him on applying to me, who, you need not doubt, will in this case, as in all others, study your good. Your mother gives her blessing to you, and joins in the advice you here receive from Your affectionate father.

SIR,

LETTER 139.

From Mr. Smith to the young Lady's Father.

Though personally unknown to you, I take the liberty to declare the great value and affection I have for

your amiable daughter, whom I have had the honor to see at my friend's house. I should think myself entirely unworthy of her favor and your approbation, if I could have thought of influencing her resolution, but in obedience to your pleasure, as I should, on such a supposition, offer an injury likewise to that prudence in herself which I flatter myself is not the least of her amiable perfections. If I might have the honor of your countenance, sir, on this occasion, I would open myself and circumstances to you in that frank and honest manner, which should convince you of the sincerity of my affection for your daughter, and at the same time of the honorableness of my intentions. In the mean time I will in general, say, that I have been set up in my business, in the linen-drapery way, upwards of three years; that I have a very good trade for the time; and that I had a thousand dollars to begin with, which I have improved to fifteen hundred, as I am ready to make appear to your satisfaction; that I am descended of a creditable family, have done nothing to stain my character, and that my trade is still further improveable as I shall, I hope, enlarge my capital. This, sir, I thought but honest and fair to acquaint you with, that you might know something of a person who sues you for your countenance, and that of your good lady, in an affair that I hope may one day prove the greatest happiness of my life, as it must be, if I can be blessed with that and your daughter's approbation. In hopes of which, and the favor of a line, I take the liberty to subscribe myself good sir,

Your obedient and humble servant,

LETTER 140.

From a Gentleman to a Lady whom he accuses of Inconstancy.

MADAM,

You will not, I presume, be surprised at a letter in the place of a visit from one who cannot but have reason to believe that it may find as ready a welcome as he would himself.

You should not suppose, if lovers have lost their sight, that their senses are all banished: and if I refuse to be. believe my eyes when they show me your inconstancy, you must not wonder that I cannot stop my ears against the accounts of it. Pray let us understand one another properly; for I am afraid we are deceiving ourselves all this while. Am I a person whom you esteem, whose fortune you do not despise, and whose pretensions you encourage? Or am I a troublesome coxcomb, who fancy myself particularly received by a woman who only laughs at me? If I am the latter, you treat me as I deserve, and I ought to join with you in saying I deserve it. But if it be otherwise, and you receive me, as I think you do, as a person you intend to marry, for it is best to be plain on those occasions, pray tell me what is the meaning of that universal coquetry in public, where every fool flatters you, and you are pleased with the meanest of them? And what can be the meaning of your showing so much attention to Mr. Marlow, which I am told you always do when I am not in company? Both of us, madam, you cannot think of; and I should be sorry to imagine, that when I had given you my heart so entirely, I shared yours with any other man.

I have said a great deal too much to you, and yet I am tempted to say more; but I shall be silent. I beg you will answer this, and I think I have a right to expect that you will do it generously and fairly. Do not mistake what is the distraction of my heart, for want of respect towards you. While I am writing thus, I dote on you, but I cannot bear to be deceived where all my happiness is centred.

Your most unhappy.

SIR

LETTER 141.

The Lady's Answer.

Did I not make all the allowance you desire in the end of your letter, I should not answer you at all. But although I am really unhappy to find you are so, and the more so to find myself to be the occasion, I can hardly impute the unkindness and incivility of your letter to the single cause you would have me. However as I would not be suspected of any thing that should justify such treatment from you, I think it necessary to inform you that what you have heard has no more foundation than what you have seen; however, I wonder that others' eyes should not be as easily alarmed as yours; for instead of being blind, believe me, sir, you see more than there is to be seen. Perhaps, however, their sight is as much sharpened by their unprovoked malice, as yours by undeserved suspicion.

Whatever may be the end of this dispute, for I do not think so lightly of lover's quarrels as many do, I think it proper to inform you, that I never have thought favorably

of any one but yourself; and I shall add, that if the faults of your temper, which I once little suspected, should make me fear you too much to marry, you will not see me in that state with any other, nor courted by any in the world.

I did not know that the gaiety of my temper gave you uneasiness; and you ought to have told me of it with less severity. If I am particular in it, I am afraid it is a fault in my natural disposition; but I would have taken some pains to have got the better of that, if I had known it was disagreeable to you. I ought to resent this treatment more than I do, but do not insult my weakness on that head; for a fault of that kind would want the excuse this has for my pardon; and might not be so easily overlooked, though I could wish to do it. I should say that I would not see you today, but you have an advocate that pleads for you much better than you do for yourself. I desire you will first carefully look over this letter, for my whole heart is in it, and then come to me.

Yours, &c.

LETTER 142.

From a Father to his Daughters on Love and Friendship.

DEAR DAUGHTERS,

The luxury and dissipation which prevail in genteel life, as it corrupts the heart in many respects, so it renders it incapable of warm, sincere, and steady friendship. A happy choice of friends will be of the utmost consequence to you, as they may assist you with their advice and good offices. But the immediate gratification, which is afforded to a warm, open and ingenuous heart, is